The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-13
THE GILPIN DIVORCE.
eertous Charges and Counter Charges
Made-The Defendants Early Life.
Ist- Louis Republican.l


The fact that Ex-Governor Gilpin,
in the Superior Court at Denver,
IN that State. from his wife. Julia
z. Gilpin, is deeply deplored in
that city and throughout the State where
ever Governor Gilpin or his wife are
known. The information is none the less
deplorable, especially among the relatives
and friends Of the lady who reside in st.
las been resident OF Colorado for a
quarter of a century. In April, 1861,
President Lincoln appointed him Governor
OF the Territory of Colorado. He served
N that capacity one year, and has since
been resident of Denver. He is now
seventy-four years of age, and his wife,
rom whom ne seeks legal separation, is
ffty-seven. In his petition for
divorce ne says that in February, 1874,
be was married to defendant in st.
Louis, in accordance with the rules and
ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church.
at that time the plaintiff was bachelor,
and the defendant was the widow OF Colonel
John Dickerson, late OF the Federal
srmy. She had four young children at the
time Of her marriage to the plaintiff, and
since her marriage three have been born
William and Marie, twins, eleven years,
and Louis, nine years of age. The Dicker-
son children were educated by plaintiff in
Catholic institutions of learning, notwith-
standing the fact that plaintiff is Protest
ant. The complaint says that the plain
tiff has ever been true and loving hus-
band, and then says: But nevertheless
the said defendant hath not kept her mar
rage VOWS 10 the plaintiff, and hath in
many ways broken the same, and hath
never loved, cherished or obeyed the plain
tiff, Ss IN and by her marriage vows, which
she professes TO re yard as a sacrament. SD
81 the nuptial altar had promised to DO,
but on the contrary thereof hath, being
led on by the blind zeal and big
Otry Of an infatuation which she calls re.
igion; by her outbreaking and unbridled
passions which she has nurtured by long
attention into species of outbreakIng and
ungoverned frenzy; by her desire to lay
hold of the fortune Of the plaintiff, which
IN her infatuatiOn she believes, or pretends
TO believe, to be much greater than it actu-
ally is; for years, in fact, from almost
the very beginning OF the married life of
plaintiff and defendant, rendered their
home the almost continual theater aud
scene OF strife, thereby making the life of
the plaintiff intolerable and his home
psndemonium, where he has neither quiet
nor peace, and where his children are
taught by defendant to hate, d spise and
avoid him. She hath at various times en-
tered into sundry conspiracies with her
friends, relations and kindred to bereave
him of his children and deprive him of his
fortune by threats and intimidation, de-
claring il TO be their purpose, il need be-
&c take away his life for that purpose"
He then charges her with extreme
cruelty and uncomfortable fits of passion.
he cites instances, and from them il
would appear that her alleged violence
commenced while yet on their wedding
tour 10 California.
The complaint further alleges that Mrs.
GilpiD has long been in the habit of leav-
ing for st. Louis at any and all times, often
quite Unexpectedly to her husband; that
she has always wanted to return to st.
Louis to live, and when the plaintiff has
refused repeatedly to do so, because all his
belongings lie in Colorado, his wife has
demanded money that she might go to st.
Louis and there educate her children.
The aged Ex-Governor complains bitterly
of the prolonged and frequent absences of
his wife in st. Louis and speaks regarding
her alleged extravaganza. He says she has
always labored under the impression that
he was millionaire, although he has
repeatedly endeavored to .disabuse
her mind of this idea, and
that she has so shaped her
housekeeping that it has cost from So, OOO
TO $4,000 per year. The most serious
charge which the ex-oficial charges against
He thinks Mrs. Gilpin is trying to kill him.
He says she has so worked upon her son,
Sidney Dickerson, as to make him bitter
enemy of his step-father, and to assume
the role Of his mothers protector. Sew
eral attempts, he alleges have been made
upon his life. One, he believes, occurred
81 the time be was attending the Cattle
Growers Association in st. Louis, IN 1885,
at the Southern Hotel, when several per-
cons ad m ppfauOlc him in ifi-
Guilty, in order that they might take his
life on plea of justifable homicide. An
other attempt was made on his life, he says,
last January, when the presence of Sidney
Dickerson had become so intolerable to him
that he had ordered him away from his
house.
One night the door-bell had rung sharply,
and when ne had answered its summons
there Sidney Dickerson had stood with
several other young men, all of whom
were doubtless intent, he thinks upon do
ipg violence to his, the plaintiffs person.
He had told the boy Sidney to go, but in
stead Of a compliance with the command,
the young man advanced upon him aud
knocked him down, giving him a severe
blow. He relates now, at the instant the
bell had rung, his wife had come into the
ball and had brushed by him, and of how,
when be next looked for his revolver
which he always carried with him, il was
missing and was not found until the next
morning, when he discovered it in the
grass on the lawn. The complaint states
that the plaintiff is sure Mrs. Gilpin must
have taken it from his pocket and throw
it out on the lawn in order that he might
not injure the young men. Other serious
charges are made and lengthy answer is
made by the defendant, in which she
charges the plaintiff with many of the
same faults which are set forth in his COM
plant.
Mrs. Gilpin, nee Miss Pratte, is well
known among the older families in ST.
Louis. She was a reigning belle ia her girl
hood, tall, well-proportioned, with pierre
ing black eye, creamy brunette complexion
and waivy black hair. her profile being
aouiline and her features very pronounced.
Her sister, Lena Pratte, was also belle,
rivalling all the leaders of society in those
days, and is now a resident of st. Louis, the
wife of prominent physician, DIR. P. g.
Robinson. Celeste Pratte, another sister,
married Gus Tracy, since deceased, and is
now residing in st. Louis on Lucas Place.
Bernard Pratte. Jr., a brother, married
Edward Sloan's daughter. General Bernard
Pratte, the father, died last summer, and
Mrs. Pratte, the mother of Mrs. Governor
Gilpin, is still living, and makes her home
with her son-in-law, DR.. Robinson.
There are MANY people in St. Louis who
remember the wedding OF Governor Gilpin
and Mrs. Dickerson, which was solemnized
at ST. Vincent de PauPs Catholic Church,